The width of a standard index tab divider for a three-ring notebook containing sheets of pre-punched 81/2 by 11 inch notebook paper is 9.times.11 inches (including the width of the tab). Unfortunately, many standard laser-jet or ink-jet printers or photocopiers can only accept rectangular sheets of width not exceeding 81/2 inches. Accordingly, there has been a need for an assembly and accompanying method for conveniently printing upon the face and tab portion of a 9 inch.times.11 inch divider using a laser or ink jet printer or photocopier which has an 81/2 inch width restriction.
One approach has been to print on a standard 81/2.times.11 inch sheet, then adhere a pre-punched spine strip along an edge of the sheet. The sheet may then be inserted into a ringed binder. However, this arrangement is somewhat inconvenient to a user for two reasons. First, for assemblies in which the spine strips are entirely separate from the divider sheets, the user must separately store both components. Storage areas can become cluttered and spine strips misplaced. Secondly, the user must very carefully attach the pre-punched spine strip to the divider sheet. If the spine strip is misaligned, the user must reposition the strip or may even need to discard the entire assembly, particularly if a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive is used on the spine. Additionally, this arrangement is somewhat user-unfriendly due to the time it takes to remove a release liner from the spine strip and apply the spine strip to the divider.
Common printers and copiers may have a thickness restriction as well as a width restriction, due to interior clearances and due to the radii of bends in the sheet path through those machines. Uneven thickness can cause skewing in the transport of sheets through the printer and possibly jamming. It is therefore important to minimize nonuniformity of thickness over the entire assembly. Holmberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,481 teaches that assemblies for feeding into common printers should have a substantially uniform thickness.
It would be preferable to provide a one-piece laser printable divider having the pre-punched spine portion already attached to or integral with the index divider sheet. Furthermore, there is a need for an easy-to-use printable index divider which requires a minimum number of steps to print and use. Additionally, there is a need for a divider which may have dimensions of 81/2.times.11 inches or less for the printing stage, but which may be made wider after printing so that the tab will extend beyond an 81/2 inch wide sheet.